March-April 2020 Newsletter of the Missouri Native Plant Society Volume 35 No.2 “… to promote the enjoyment, preservation, conservation, restoration, and study of the flora native to Missouri.” In this issue Spring field trip: May 1-3! Spring field trip ...............1 Schedule in brief (see the next pages for details) 1. Friday Afternoon Trip: 1:00 PM Twenty-five Mile Prairie Conservation Area Details, Details ...............2 37°46'59.5"N 93°31'33.2"W 2. Friday Night Speaker 7:00 p.m. Citizens Memorial Hospital (CMH), And now, poetry .............4 Community room #2 (but check websites for finalized location) Obscure Characters in Carol Davit – Missouri Invasive Plant Species Task Force. Carol will be talking Plant ID: .........................5 about the mission and goals of the task force along with ongoing initiatives. 3. Saturday Morning Trip: 8:30 AM Rocky Barrens Conservation Area New feature! Ask a 37°18'48.7"N 93°24'17.3"W question .........................6 4. Saturday Afternoon Trip: 1:30 PM Corry Flatrocks Conservation Area Chapter Events ...............6 37°28'59.6"N 93°43'39.2"W 5. Saturday Night Board Meeting – 7:00 p.m. (CMH, Comm. room 2) New Members ................7 6. Sunday Morning Trip: 8:30 AM Lead Mine Conservation Donate to MONPS When Area and Niangua River Hills Natural Area You Shop! .......................7 From the editor ...............7 A Tale of Two Lilies .........8 MONPS Awards: ...........9 Chapter Reports ............9 What's in a Name? ........10 And now, a Book Review: ..........................11 Join Us! Become a New Member or Renew .........12 MARCH—APRIL 2020 | PETAL PUSHER 1 2. Super 8 by Wyndham Bolivar Details, Details 1919 South Wommack (417) 777-8888 Malissa Briggler, Vice President Block of 10 rooms reserved (double queen) $76.49 + tax with the group rate Bolivar Meeting Location--Friday evening talk and Includes hot breakfast Saturday Board meeting Make reservations by April 17 Citizens Memorial Hospital, Community Room #2, Group Name: Native Plant Society 1500 N Oakland Ave, Bolivar, MO 65613 Note: Apparently, there is a major convention on fireworks this weekend in Bolivar, so be sure to make North side of the building, entrance is marked as your reservations now. If these blocks fill up, we may “Community Rooms” still have time to add to them, if necessary. Bolivar Hotels Friday Afternoon Trip 1. Comfort Inn 2451 W Tower Dr. 1:00 PM Twenty-five Mile Prairie Conservation Area (417) 326-6169 Block of 10 rooms reserved (double queen) 37°46'59.5"N 93°31'33.2"W $90 + tax with the group rate Includes hot breakfast The surface soils of this prairie range from just slightly Make reservations by April 1 acidic to neutral in reaction, which is unlike most Reservations manager: Sean remnant prairies in this region. Many plant species Group Account Number: 4010418 such as prairie turnip, scurfy pea, prairie dock, aromatic aster, Missouri coneflower, and narrow- Group Name: Missouri Native Plant Soctiey leaved milkweed require higher levels of nutrients in the soil, including calcium, and are more prevalent here than on prairies developed over sandstone bedrock. Directions from Comfort Inn, Bolivar: Turn left onto W Aldrich Rd, turn left to merge onto MO- 13 N toward Humansville. Drive north on MO-13 for 6 miles, turn right onto State Hwy B for 9.3 miles, turn right onto E 330th Rd. Map showing location of 25 Mile Prairie (Friday afternoon trip) 2 ­PETAL PUSHER Saturday Morning Trip Saturday Afternoon Trip 8:30 AM Rocky Barrens Conservation Area or meet at 1:30 PM Corry Flatrocks Conservation Area Comfort Inn at 8am 37°28'59.6"N 93°43'39.2"W 37°18'48.7"N 93°24'17.3"W This area is a recent acquisition for the Missouri We will visit limestone glade sites and hope to spot Department of Conservation. Half of the area a small mustard plant called Missouri bladder-pod was donated by The Nature Conservancy and the (Physaria filiformis). The plant, which is on both state remaining was purchased for the protection of one and federal endangered species lists, is found only in of the largest known populations of geocarpon four counties in southwest Missouri. (Geocarpon minimum), a state and federal endangered species. Early spring will be the best Directions from Comfort Inn: time to find this tiny and rare plant. Head east on W Tower Dr. toward S Wommack Ave, Directions from Rocky Barrens CA: turn right onto S Wommack Ave., turn left onto W Aldrich Rd., turn right to merge onto MO-13 South Head north on N Farm Rd 105 toward W Farm Rd toward Springfield. Drive south on MO-13 for 21.2 74, turn left onto W Farm Rd 68 for 3 miles, continue miles, turn right onto W State Hwy O, and turn right on MO-123 N to Dadeville for 25 miles, turn left onto onto N Farm Rd 105. State Hwy U at Walnut Grove, turn right on MO-245, turn left on Main Street/State Rd. W at Dadeville, take Rd 193 which will be a slight left. When Rd. 193 turns to the south, Corry Flatrocks CA will be on your right. Map showing location of Rocky Barrens (Saturday morning trip) Map showing location of Corry Flatrocks Conservation Area (Saturday afternoon trip) MARCH—APRIL 2020 | PETAL PUSHER 3 And now, poetry Field trip details, continued... from our members Sunday Morning Trip (May 3) Reflections by Becky Erickson Leave Comfort Inn at 8:00 AM for Lead Mine Monday-morning snow Conservation Area and Niangua River Hills Natural melted Area (ETA 9:00 AM) into water puddles dripped 37°51'01.5"N 92°55'44.0"W off eaves and into more puddles caught We’ll wrap up the weekend with a visit to the Niangua the turquoise sky and the crystal sun-dog. River Hills Natural Area that features dolomite glades, Sheepy gray chert woodlands, and we’re certain to enjoy the spring drifted through the ephemeral flora before the forest canopy closes in. mirrors only We might see flowering twayblade and showy lady to be blown and rippled away by a slipper orchids along with other orchid species. The warmer breeze which area also features a scenic overlook of the Niangua sang River. through the bare string-branches of the lonely willow Directions from Comfort Inn, Bolivar: by the happy, catch-me stream. Head east on W Tower Dr. toward S Wommack Ave., turn right onto S Wommack Ave., turn left onto W Just Another Earth Day Aldrich Rd., turn left onto S 132nd Rd., turn right onto by D L Schilling E. Buffalo Rd., follow MO-32 E and MO-73 to State Rd E in Tunas. Turn right onto State Rd. E for 4 miles, What does a human mind's eye see turn right onto State Hwy T for 0.3 miles and then left When blinded by homocentricity? onto County Rd. T-13 for 0.5 miles, turn left onto State Natural realms just viewed to be Forest Rd and the parking lot will be on the left. More fodder for our supremacy? That dwindling beauty of Nature's plight Overlooked by arrogance and foresight... An error waiting to come to light In that dimness of hindsight? Oh what a metaphorical vulture Is a human monoculture. Whoops...poor analogy; wrong answer... It's more like a cancer! 4 ­PETAL PUSHER Obscure Characters in Plant ID: Leaf Undersurface Hairs by Rick Gray The identification of plants, particularly in the field, frequently turns upon consideration of a variety of vegetative characters, some evident at a distance but many only upon close inspection with a hand lens. The character of a plant’s pubescence, or hairiness, particularly on the lower leaf surface, while inconspicuous, can be very helpful, in certain Symphyotrichum lanceolatum, photo by Rick Gray circumstances, for species determination. The leaf undersurface of this species is hairless and feels very smooth to the touch. How to look at the underside of a leaf? The best way to look at leaf underside hairs is to wrap the leaf around your finger length-wise and upside-down and then hold it up against a dark background. What you will do is look along and parallel to the leaf mid-vein so that as the leaf curls down and out-of-sight the hairs will be isolated from the leaf surface and easy to see. What to look for? First note whether hairs are present or not. If present, where are they? On the mid- vein only? On the mid-vein and secondary veins? On the leaf surface as well? What kind or kinds are they? Long, short, or both. Straight, curled, or both. Glandular or not or both. Simple or branched or both. And so on. Symphyotrichum lateriflorum,photo by Rick Gray The leaf undersurface of this species has hairs on the mid-vein In some cases, subtle differences in under-leaf only. The secondary veins and leaf surface are hairless. pubescence can be diagnostic and can be used to differentiate between closely related and otherwise similar-looking species. The lance-leaved, white Asters, for example, are notoriously similar-looking and difficult to diagnose in the field, particularly Symphyotrichum lanceolatum, S. lateriflorum, and S. ontarionis. However, these species have very distinctive leaf underside pubescence which, when you know what to look for, makes them very easy to tell apart. Please refer to the accompanying photographs for Symphyotrichum ontarionis, photo by Rick Gray additional discussion on how to use this character for The leaf undersurface of this species is velvety with hairs of identification of these species.